A negative workplace environment can have a serious impact on employees and organisations if left unchecked. Stress levels increase, morale decreases, and it will be followed by a high turnover rate.
HR Managers need to develop strategic approaches on how to deal with work culture, and ensure it is a place of inclusivity and positivity, allowing for the retention of designated groups and acquired talent. Without these strategies, Management and HR may find themselves spending more time putting out the proverbial ‘fires’ instead of focusing on what is needed to grow the business.
How does one go about navigating this challenging situation, and creating a positive, healthy work environment?
Here are some tips to help you get started:
Identify the route cause of the negativity.
In order to address a problem, you need to understand what caused the problem. Is it a single individual, or a larger cultural issue? Is it due to a workplace policy, or conflicting personalities.
Once the cause of the negativity has been identified, a solution can be found to address the issue.
Clear Communication Channels
Clear and regular communication is vital in all workplaces and should be a regular occurrence.
Employees should be encouraged to speak up and have their views heard. There are a variety of ways for this to occur, such as a suggestion box, employee surveys or regular check-ins by managers with their employees.
Ensuring communication channels are established and working well builds a trust between employees and management and fosters a positive and transparent environment.
Address negative behaviour immediately.
Address any negative behaviour as soon as it is identified. This may include mentoring, coaching or disciplinary action depending on the severity of the behaviour.
Such behaviour must be documented along with the steps used to address the behaviour and keep track of such behaviour to see if a pattern is developing.
Promote positivity.
Encourage teamwork, respect, and collaborative working ..
Develop a system for recognising positive contributions, provide opportunities for personal development and encourage balanced home-work life.
Encourage employees to ask for help.
Since the COVID pandemic, a sharp increase has been seen in employee burn-out.
Encourage employees to speak up when they feel isolated and alone. Encourage them to seek the assistance of HR or wellness programmes that may be available to them.
Ensure that employees are aware that they have support.
Influencing skills of leaders
When leading a team, team leaders and managers have the ability to influence their team members.
Hold leaders accountable for influencing their teams in a positive and productive manner. Encourage them to model behaviours wanted in the business and hold them responsible for addressing negative behaviour in their teams.
The culture of a work environment must be constantly monitored.
By means of regular surveys, HR can assess feedback received from employees and assess the perceptions of the work environment which will help them develop effective strategies for dealing with any negative influences that may be arising.